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October 14, 2013

On To Detroit, Flying High

All is calm, all is right: David Ortiz and his magical healing powers are back at work for the Red Sox and the city of Boston.

Ortiz, the man who proclaimed "This is our (expletive) city" back in April when the city and nation were still reeling from the horrors of the Boston Marathon bombings, let his bat do the talking last night, and it spoke in epic style.

[A]nyone in New England whose chief wardrobe accessory is a frayed and faded Red Sox cap has long since known the truth:

David Ortiz has a habit -- this delightful, historic habit -- of changing everything with one swing.

Ortiz did it again Sunday night, changing the tenor of this American League Championship Series heavyweight bout with the talented Tigers with one mighty swing. ...

"It's incredible. On the bench, there's nobody really surprised when he does something like he does," [Jarrod] Saltalamacchia said. "You watch it on TV for so many years, and growing up watching it, and then being on the bench and watching the ball go out and seeing him run the bases, it's incredible. It's like any other day. He gets excited, but you can't really tell he's any different, if he's rushed or he's calm. He's the same every day." ...

Leave it to [Ortiz] to remind us of what we should have learned through this rewarding summer: Doubting this team, let alone counting them out, is a fine way to look like the fool.

Will Middlebrooks: "We were out there during the pitching change when it was [5-1], Pedey's looking at us going, 'This isn't over.' This is in the seventh inning. He's saying, 'It's not over,' telling us, 'This team is too good. We're going to get into that bullpen and we're going to beat them.' This is during a pitching change. To hear him say that, I don't know if it was a confidence builder, but it was just good to hear that. We're getting pounded pretty good by Scherzer, but to hear Pedey say, 'We're going to be fine; we're going to do this,' it was cool. ... I've said unbelievable probably about 100 times. I'm pretty numb right now. I'm pretty speechless. With all that happened after [the double], I kind of forgot about it be honest. It was like a movie, I'm just speechless right now. That was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of."

Torii Hunter: "When David Ortiz walks to the plate, with the bases loaded, you're thinking grand slam. So why did it happen? [The Tigers learned] not to touch the hot stove anymore. Mom will let you touch it once, let you burn yourself so you never touch it again."

David Ross: "It seemed like old hat for Dave. We [on the bench] were the happiest ones. I would've been like a little school girl running around the bases if I would have done that. He was just trotting around like it was nothing, just came out and tipped his cap."